A Year from Today
by mergrly3286
Summary: Bones and Booth are back in DC after their year apart. Partners, and more! Because we all know it's time for some change.
1. A Year from Today

**So I watched the Bones season finale. And I cried. And I thought "I've never been so inspired to write a story as I am right now." And I know that everyone and their brother is writing an alternate ending for the finale, or their take on the next episode. But I really wanted to give it a try, so here it is. **

A Year From Today:

Booth sat on a bench, staring into the reflective pool before him. His fingers drummed impatiently on the wooden slats below him. He glanced anxiously towards the coffee cart again. He stood up and started pacing in front of the bench. Back and forth. The motion, an imitation of activity, calmed his nerves, but only slightly. He took a deep breath.

Brennan pulled her suitcase through the airport. The wheels thudded over the cracks in the floor, making a steady rhythm, matching her anxious heartbeat. She strode purposefully through the glass doors, and hailed a cab. "The national mall," she instructed the driver as she climbed into the backseat. She took a deep breath.

Booth stood up suddenly, craning his neck as he saw a cab approaching. The car slowed to a stop, and the door opened. His breath caught in his chest. A middle-aged couple, with cameras around their necks and sunglasses on their heads, appeared from car. He breathed out slowly, relaxing again. He did not hear as someone approached him from behind.

"Booth!" called a voice.

He turned around frantically. His eyes found her walking steadily towards him. Her auburn hair flew gently with the wind. She looked the same as he remembered, though perhaps her skin was a shade darker.

Almost without thought, he began walking towards her, so that within moments they were face to face.

"Bones," he said quietly, looking down at her. She smiled as he used her old nickname.

"I've missed that," she replied. Her steely blue eyes scanned his face for changes. Although he appeared not to have shaved for a day or so, she was relieved to see that he had no new battle scars.

"I've missed you," Booth said, gazing intently at her. His warm brown eyes drank in the soft features of her face. "Listen Bones," he began.

"No, you listen Booth. Please?" she requested. "I have something important to tell you."

"Wait just a second," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards their bench. He sat down and pulled her down next to him.

"No, I can't sit down right now," she insisted, standing back up in front of him. "What I'm going to tell you… it makes me remarkably anxious."

"Alright then," Booth said, with some concern in his voice. He made a show of giving her his undivided attention. "Go ahead."

"Booth, a year ago," she began, "I thought our partnership was the most important thing to me. I thought that working together mattered to me more than anything. But I was wrong."

He looked at her in confusion. She breathed deeply, and then continued.

"I thought that I would miss working with you, solving murders with you, more than anything. But I didn't."

"Wait, Bones," Booth started, but she halted him, laying a finger over his lips.

"What I missed most of all was you, Booth." He looked dumbfounded, and did not seem close to speaking, so she continued.

"I missed you calling me Bones, as I previously stated. I missed having drinks or coffee or lunch with you. I missed you trying to persuade me to eat pie. I missed calling you when I'm upset. I missed hugging you when I'm afraid. It's irrational, but there it is."

"Bones," he said softly, standing up and taking her hand. "I missed you too."

"I know," she replied. "You said that already. Wait, let me tell you my conclusion."

"Go ahead," Booth allowed, smiling. He had missed the way she pulled logic into every conversation, especially those in which it did not strictly belong.

"On the premise that the things or people that a person misses the most are the things or people that the person loves the most," she paused for a breath. "I must conclude that I love you, Booth."

"Wow, Bones," he replied. _Wow_ was an understatement. "That's quite a step. Are you sure about this?"

"Booth, I've had a whole year to think about this," she answered, looking up to his eyes. "I am certain."

Their eyes locked together, and he slowly leaned towards her. With only an inch of air separating their noses, Brennan placed her hand on Booth's chest. She did not push him away, but rather delayed him for a moment.

"Wait Booth," she said timidly. "One more thing."

"Yes?" he asked, looking quizzically into her blue-grey eyes.

"Do you still love me?" she asked, hesitantly. He saw the true worry in her expression.

"Yes," he whispered reassuringly. "I love you, Temperance Brennan." He leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I always have," he whispered, kissing her other cheek. "And I always will," he finished, finally bringing his lips to hers.

_If any kiss could make up for over six years of pent-up romantic tension, this was it,_ Booth thought, as Bones melted comfortably into his arms. He kissed her deeply and warmly. Her arms curved over his broad shoulders, locking around his neck. His mouth felt comforting and familiar to her, almost as though she had been kissing him every day of their partnership. Finally they pulled apart, both smiling widely.

"So tell me about your trip, Bones." Booth said conversationally, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and guiding her towards his car.


	2. The First Night

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones and Booth. But if I did, they would have been dating by the end of season 4. **

**I received plenty of support for the first chapter, so I decided to continue it. Let me know what you all think, please. **

Chapter 2: The First Night

Booth insisted on loading Bones' luggage into the back of his car for her. He opened the passenger door for her courteously. She just smiled as she climbed into the dark SUV. The vehicle appeared just as it had more than a year ago, which pleased Brennan. The driver's side door opened and Booth climbed into the car, without taking his eyes off the beautiful woman in the front seat. He nearly tripped, due to her very distracting appearance.

"You know what I think Bones?" he began, as he turned the key in the ignition and the car rumbled to a start.

"How could I possibly know what you're thinking, Booth? That's not possible." Bones reverted to her scientific exterior. A small smile touched his lips.

"I think we should celebrate. Let's go out to a nice dinner, get a bottle of wine, the works," Booth proposed. "How does that sound?"

"What are we celebrating?" Bones inquired, slightly perplexed.

"Everything," Booth replied. "Your homecoming, my homecoming. Love." At this last word, he reached over to take her hand in his. She smiled at his touch.

"That sounds lovely," she replied, leaning her head back on the seat and closing her eyes. "But I'm afraid I'm really too tired to go out. I'd rather just go back to my apartment."

"Oh, ok." Booth said, with slight disappointment coloring his tone. He really did not want any time away from her now.

"How does Thai food sound to you?" Brennan asked. She had no desire to be separated from him either. "We can talk and eat takeout at my place."

"Perfect," Booth said, smiling. He began driving the familiar route.

The two weary wanderers trudged into Brennan's old apartment. Bones crashed comfortably onto her couch. Booth followed, landing quite close to her. He stretched his arm out over the back cushions. She curled towards him, laying her head on his shoulder. He thrilled to the sudden proximity. The two sat like this for a minute or two. Then she looked down self-consciously, wishing she could have a change of clothes and a shower.

"I'm going to freshen up," she told Booth, craning her neck to see his face. "You go order the food." She patted his chest gently, privately admiring his firm pectoral muscles.

"Alright," he said, standing up slowly and carefully, in order to avoid dislodging Brennan entirely. He began to head towards the kitchen, while she moved away from him towards the bedroom.

"Wait," Brennan said suddenly, catching his muscular arm in both of her hands.

Just as he turned to face her, she swiftly pulled him close to her. She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips softly. Her palm caressed his stubbly cheek gently. She enjoyed the tickling sensation. Although Booth was surprised at first by the sudden display of affection, he responded quickly, winding his arm around her waist protectively.

Brennan pulled away first, smiling. Booth cleared his throat, then muttered something about food and turned towards the kitchen again.

Bones reached her bedroom and closed the door. She splashed some cool water on her flushed face. She quickly removed the clothes that smelled like airplane and began sifting through the clothes in her drawer. There was not much here; most of her clothing was in her large suitcase, which she realized was still out in the living room. She eventually found a comfortable, though not unflattering, pair of sweats and a t-shirt. _It's only Booth, _she told herself. But she smiled all the same, and carefully applied a touch of mascara and a dab of lip-gloss.

She emerged from her room feeling much better, and Booth turned around when he heard her door open.

"Hey Bones," he said with a cheerful grin. "I ordered your favorite."

"Thank you," she replied, matching his grin with a smile of her own. He noticed the dimple in her cheek with a swell of affection.

"I need to unpack," Brennan declared, with a sigh. "I have very little clothing to wear at the moment." On the subject of clothing, Booth was not unaware of the way her t-shirt clung gently to her shoulders and waist.

Willingly, Booth carried her large suitcase into her bedroom and set it carefully on the bed. He lounged comfortably across her sheets, watching as her careful hands sorted out clothing into drawers and hampers. As the contents of the large bag decreased, Brennan told him all about her trip. She related every detail, from Ms. Wick's incessant chattering to the breakthrough anthropological finds. Booth thought he could just listen to her musical voice for hours at a time.

The pair sat comfortably close together on the couch, eating the last of their food. They both reached for the last eggroll at the same time; their hands touched lightly. Distracted by the electricity of this contact, they turned to gaze at each other.

"We could split it, if you want," Booth suggested. His face moved slowly towards hers, though, and any thought of food slipped from his mind. His thoughts had just been captured by his admiration of the fine shape of her soft lips.

"I don't want it much, actually," Brennan admitted mildly. She leaned towards her partner, equally slowly. Now their mouths were mere inches apart.

They both jumped as Brennan's cell phone rang. She reached across Booth to pick it up from the coffee table.

"Hey Ange," she said as she answered the phone.

"Hi Sweetie!" Angela squealed delightedly.

"Have you and Hodgins returned from your emotionally stimulating sojourn yet?"

"Not quite. We're stuck in London." Angela replied with a sigh. Brennan heard Hodgins speaking agitatedly in the background.

"Why does Hodgins sound so disturbed?" Brennan asked curiously.

"Oh, something about the airlines conspiring to ruin his life." Angela began. "Calm down, Jack. You're making me nervous," she added, away from the phone.

"When do you expect to arrive in D.C.?" Brennan inquired. Booth began clearing the plates and takeout boxes from the table.

"We should be home sometime tomorrow night," Angela replied.

"I'll see you then," Brennan said.

"Hey Sweetie?" Angela said tentatively. "Make sure to see Booth. I know how much he missed you."

"I will, Angela," Brennan replied, looking towards the kitchen. Booth stood at the sink, rinsing dishes. He glanced up when he felt her gaze, meeting her eyes and smiling. His expression gave her a nervous sensation centered around her abdomen.

As she said goodbye to her friend and returned the phone to its place on the table, Booth returned to his place on the couch.

"Where were we?" he asked.

"We were debating the future of the final eggroll." Brennan answered, factually.

"Really?" Booth said, with mock disbelief. "Because I thought you were about to kiss me again."

"No," responded Brennan. "You were intending to kiss me."

"Hmm… I think you're right Bones," Booth conceded, leaning towards her again.

"Well, I generally am correct," Brennan declared softly. "I certainly hope I am in this instance." She leaned toward him as well.

"Why is that, Bones?" Booth asked huskily.

"Because I would very much enjoy…" Brennan began. Her words were interrupted, however, when Booth suddenly brought his lips to hers. This kiss proved even better than the previous two. Booth's hand crept behind her neck, to hold her there a moment longer. She placed her hands on his broad shoulders, and could not even find in herself the desire to name the muscles. Her lips parted, inviting him in. He obliged happily. After several moments, they pulled away, with a final peck or two.

"That just keeps getting better," Booth noted, through ragged breaths. Bones smiled contentedly.

"I absolutely concur," she added. "But I'm exhausted, Booth."

"Alright," Booth replied, nodding. "I'll leave so you can get some sleep."

"No!" Brennan demanded, with slightly more force than necessary. "Can you stay with me?"

"Of course, Bones." Booth grinned. "I'm here as long as you want me." She beamed in return.


	3. Business as Usual

**Here comes the next installment. It took a while because I wasn't sure where to go next. I'm happy to hear what you all want to see in the coming chapters, and what you think of this one. Thanks for your feedback. **

**Disclaimer: Of course, I don't own Bones and Booth. You know that. **

Chapter 3: Business as Usual

Booth awoke early, to the light of the sun streaming through the window. He was lying, fully clothed, on Bones' bed. She lay only inches away from him, but their hands were nearly touching. Clothes in various states of folding surrounded them. _We must have fallen asleep while we were talking last night, _Booth thought. He smiled as he looked over at Brennan, whose face was so peaceful as she slept. Booth climbed out of bed carefully, to avoid waking her.

Brennan woke up a few minutes later. She was alone in her bed, but she saw the indentation in the pile of half-folded clothing where Booth must have slept. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted into her room. She stood up slowly, adjusting to the bright sunlight coming through the blinds. In the bathroom, she combed the knots out of her hair carefully.

Brennan walked towards her kitchen. Booth was standing at the stove, cooking pancakes in a skillet.

"Hey Bones!" he greeted her cheerfully as she entered the sunny kitchen. He handed her a mug of coffee.

"Good morning," she replied. "You are making breakfast." This was a statement, not a question, but her eyes looked rather perplexed.

"You bet," he answered. He leaned in to kiss her cheek softly.

"But it's my apartment, Booth," Brennan began. "Social guidelines of hospitality indicate that I should prepare breakfast for you."

"Calm down," he replied, leading her to the table by her elbow. "I've got it covered." He winked as she sat down in the wooden chair. He set a plate down in front of her, and then lowered himself into the other chair.

"Booth," Bones said, staring at the food on her plate. "This pancake has an image shaped like a face."

"It's a blueberry smiley-face, Bones," he replied, as he poured syrup onto his own pancakes, and began eating.

"I like it," she said softly, grinning down at the plate in front of her. "I approve of your domestic skills."

"So what are you up to today, Bones?" Booth asked after swallowing a large bite of pancake.

"I need to go to the lab and check in with Cam."

"Great," Booth said enthusiastically. "I've got to stop by my office and make sure everything is ready so I can go back to work on Monday."

"Are we still going to be partners?" Brennan asked quietly, as though she halfway feared the answer.

"Definitely!" Booth replied confidently. "If I have anything to say about it we will." Brennan beamed at him. They continued eating their pancakes for a few minutes. Every few seconds one of them would glance up at the other, then look back to their plate if they were caught staring. When his plate was empty, Booth broke the silence.

"So listen, Bones," he began. "I need to head back to my place soon. I've got to suit up before my appointment with J. Edgar Hoover." He stood up, rinsed his plate, and placed it carefully in the dishwasher.

"You know that J. Edgar Hoover is dead, right?" Brennan replied with a smile. Booth simply looked at her, then rolled his eyes. He picked up her empty plate, putting it in the dishwasher as well.

"Do you want to meet up for lunch?" he asked as she stood up and they walked towards the door.

"Certainly," she answered quickly.

"How about the Royal Diner? At quarter to noon?" His mind ran through all his memories of lunches much like this one. The chatting, the laughing, the stealing of fries. He smiled, almost involuntarily.

"Perfect," she agreed, smiling back at him. His smile always elevated her mood.

He leaned in to kiss her goodbye. It was soft and short, almost routine already. Her hand rested on his shoulder; his hand found its place at the small of her back.

"I love you, Booth," she said, gazing into his warm brown eyes. She was inexplicably reminded of melting chocolate.

His stomach flipped at her words. "I love you too, Bones," he replied, with a soft smile. "I'll see you later." With that, he walked out the door and down the hall. She beamed at his retreating back, waiting until he strolled into the elevator before closing the door.

Brennan walked through the sliding glass doors into the Medico-Legal lab, a smile still on her lips. Cam walked down the steps of the forensic platform and approached her.

"Dr. Brennan! I'm glad to see you!" Cam exclaimed.

"I'm certainly glad to be back in my own lab," Brennan replied. "The temporary equipment in Indonesia was sadly lacking."

Brennan walked into her former office, looking around. She felt the odd combination of strangeness and familiarity that comes from returning home after a long absence. The room looked almost the same as she remembered. The couch, which she had slept on many times, waited against the windows. Her desk still stood in the middle of the room, although its surface was less cluttered than it had ever been while she was working. She walked towards it, sitting down in her familiar swiveling chair. A bright envelope caught her attention. She opened it and found a card. _Welcome home, Dr. Brennan!_ it read. It was signed by not only Cam, but also many of her grad students. She smiled at the kind gesture.

Hacker walked with Booth to his former office, trying to make friendly conversation. Booth pocketed his newly returned weapons and identification.

"Have you heard from Temperance?" Hacker asked suddenly as they reached the door of the office. "Is she back yet?" Booth stiffened, pausing in the middle of opening the door.

"Yeah I think she's back." Booth replied carefully. "But I heard she met someone. Jealous type, I wouldn't mess with him if I were you." He smiled to himself.

"Oh, alright then," Hacker said, staring at his shoes. "Well I have to go. Duty calls." He turned and walked swiftly back down the hall.

Booth entered his office at last, and looked around. His eyes landed on the familiar objects. His nameplate stood on the desk already: Special Agent Seeley Booth. His hockey pictures still adorned the walls. The bobble-head British cop smiled merrily at him. He sat down behind the desk in his old chair. He took in the whole picture, thinking of how good it was to be back.

Brennan breathed deeply to calm her nerves. _It's only Booth,_ she told herself. She checked her hair and makeup in the car mirror anyway before walking into the diner. He was sitting at their usual table, spinning his poker chip absentmindedly. He smiled and waved when he caught sight of her. He stood up and pulled out her chair, and she sat gracefully, beaming at him. He breathed in sharply, as her appearance took him by surprise once again. She was wearing an attractive royal blue dress, which he remembered distinctly from more than a year previously. Even the flatteringly low neckline, however, could not keep his eyes away from her breathtaking smile.

They ordered their food casually from a waitress whom they did not recognize. She returned promptly with their drinks.

"So how's the good old lab holding up, Bones?" Booth asked conversationally.

"The lab is fine. My office is much the same as I remembered. But Cam is glad that I've returned," Brennan replied. "How's J. Edgar Hoover?"

"He's dead, remember?" Booth winked. "But his building's still around. And I still have a nice office in it. Oh, and Hacker asked about you."

"Really? I thought I told Andrew before I left that I would not be seeing him again." Brennan looked concerned. "What did you tell him?"

"That you met someone. And that he should leave you alone." A look of slight annoyance crossed Booth's face, but it was gone in a moment, replaced by his jaunty smile. "Which is all true."

"I'm glad you told him that." Bones replied, with another lovely smile.

The waitress brought their food: her salad, and his burger and fries. Brennan picked a fry off his plate almost immediately. They had barely taken three bites each when suddenly both of their cell phones rang at the same time. They looked at each other, excitement building behind their eyes.

"We have a case!" they said in unison, identical grins on their faces.


	4. Back in the Saddle

**A/N: Sorry it took a while to get this next chapter up... I had to come up with a decent murder plot. Anyway, keep reading. I promise there will be some plot development soon. Please review and tell me what you think. [Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own anything. But you know that.] **

Chapter 4: Back in the Saddle

The large black SUV pulled around the corner and parked crookedly in the small alleyway. Booth exited from the driver's side and walked around the car to open Bones' door for her. He took her hand to help her down; she smiled involuntarily at the casual touch.

An FBI tech met them at the mouth of another small alley to their left.

"What's the context of the find?" Booth asked, immediately getting down to business.

"Body fell out of this dumpster when the waste collection guys came by to pick it up," the tech explained, indicating the rusty brown dumpster behind him. The dumpster lay on its side, its contents spilled out, filling the alley. A decaying body sprawled between piles of rotting leftovers and yellowed newspapers.

"What is that smell?" Booth asked, sniffing the foul air.

"Most likely what you are experiencing is a combination of expired food and decomposing corpse smells," Brennan replied, as she knelt to examine the body.

"Right," Booth said nodding. "I'll have to get used to that again."

"Male, mid-20s, Caucasian," Brennan began. "At first glance I see multiple gun shot wounds to the sternum and ribs. Some skull fracturing."

"Any idea how long he's been here?" Booth asked.

"Based on the level of decomp, I would hazard a guess at a week to ten days. I see significant animal activity though," she added, as a rat scurried past her feet. "Hodgins could probably tell you more. You'll want to bring him back here when he returns."

"We're bringing Hodgins to look at an alley full of trash?" Booth said. "Well now I don't feel bad for not getting them a wedding present. He'll be thrilled."

"First we should bring this all back to the lab. A significant amount of soft tissue is still here for Cam to analyze, and there may be more evidence in the contents of the dumpster."

"You got it Bones," Booth called cheerfully, as he began directing the FBI techs.

* * *

Brennan swiped her card and walked up to the forensic platform, buttoning her blue Jeffersonian lab coat. She strolled to the second table, peering down at the remains that Cam was already examining.

"Have you discovered anything yet, Dr. Saroyan?" Brennan inquired politely, pulling on her latex gloves.

"Nothing particularly earth-shattering," Cam replied. "Unless you count the seventeen gun shot wounds."

"Seventeen? That is extraordinary," Brennan remarked.

"Most of them appear to be older," Cam said, pointing to a few around the radius, and another two by the right femur.

"I can determine the age of each wound by examining the remodeling of the bones, as soon as the flesh has been removed," Brennan commented, lifting up the right hand to inspect the remodeled injury on the back.

"Dr. Brennan, have you seen Booth since you got back?" Cam asked tentatively.

"Of course," Brennan replied with a smile. "I accompanied him to the crime scene." At this point, Brennan's thoughts turned to the memory of the particularly pleasant kiss that she and Booth had shared when he dropped her off at the Jeffersonian a few minutes before.

"Ok, just checking," Cam said. "I'm going to run a tox screen." _She's smiling, _Cam thought to herself as she walked off the platform. _That's a good sign. _

Brennan headed to her office, where she quickly returned to focusing intently on the victim's x-rays. She was concentrating so fixedly on her work that she did not notice when Booth entered the room.

He paused for a moment in the doorway, watching her face in the reflection on her computer screen. He'd always had a soft spot in his heart for that face: the one where she was totally zeroed in on whatever she was looking at. She made a great concentration face: her eyes wide with curiosity, her mouth slightly open. It was just so… _Bones. _Booth leaned against the door, grinning.

After a while he got tired of just watching and walked in to stand behind her chair. He leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of her head, breathing in the smell of her hair. Somehow her hair always smelled amazing, no matter how many piles of muck she had been standing in that day.

Bones jumped slightly at the sudden touch. She wheeled around in her chair.

"Booth!" she scolded. "You startled me!"

"Sorry," he said, but she could see from his jaunty grin that he didn't mean it.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"I'm checking on the case, Bones," he answered. "Plus I wanted to see you."

"Look at this," she said, calling his attention to the images on her screen. "This man was shot seventeen times. And he lived through most of it."

"Wait let me see that again," Booth requested, pointing to one of the x-rays. He leaned towards the screen, until his head was at the same level as hers. "This guy was a soldier."

"What makes you say that?" Bones asked, looking back at the screen with perplexed eyes, as though she had missed something.

"I've seen guys injured just like that," Booth said, pointing at the scan. "Shot through the wrist. Just enough to disable you but not kill you."

"I know things have changed between us, Booth," Brennan began. "But I'd never thought you would be pointing out occupational markers. Are you sure about this?"

"Positive, Bones." Booth laughed. "Why? Are you impressed?"

"I am quite impressed," Bones replied. She turned her head and kissed his cheek gently. He turned towards her, gazing into her blue-grey eyes. He leaned in slowly.

"Booth!" Cam called from the doorway.

This time they both jumped. He straightened up quickly, turning to the door. Brennan swiveled her chair around to face her computer.

"Yeah?" Booth called back to Cam.

"I've got an ID on our victim," she replied, waving the blue folder she held in her hand.

"Alright!" Booth said enthusiastically. "That was fast."

"Too easy," Cam answered. "His DNA was a match for one in the FBI database."

Booth took the file from Cam and began flipping through it. Brennan turned around to see the new information.

"James Houston, age 26, from Arlington Virginia. Just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq," Booth read, skimming the report. "What did I tell you?" he added, poking Bones' gently in the shoulder.

"What did he tell you?" Cam asked, looking curiously from one to the other.

"He's a soldier. I called it." Booth said proudly.

"I am very impressed, Booth," Bones replied, smiling up at him.

"Alright, I've got to get back to the office and see what else I can find out about him," Booth said, heading for the door. "I'll call you later, Bones."

"Goodbye Booth," Brennan said, returning to her computer screen, still smiling.

Cam caught Booth's arm as he walked past her. "We'll talk about this later," she said quietly, as she looked pointedly at Brennan.

"Whatever you say, Camille," Booth said. He strode out the door cheerfully. _We're back, _he thought. _Back in the saddle again._


	5. Interrogations

**A/N: So here's a nice long chapter for all my faithful readers. Just a couple of conversations that I think are pretty important. I'm sort of skating over the case stuff, because I'm not a Forensic Anthropologist. Although I think it would be fun to have Sweets' job some day. Anyway, enjoy. And review. Pretty please. I'm not just kidding, your reviews kind of make my day. [Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. Just a few ideas.] **

Chapter 5: Interrogations

"Sweetie!" Angela cried, spying her best friend waiting by the baggage claim. She ran forward, embracing her tightly, then pulling back to examine her for changes.

"Hey Ange," Brennan replied, laughing at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Look at you! You're so tan!" Angela exclaimed. "How was Indonesia? Was it just fabulous? Did you meet any hot natives?"

Before she had a chance to answer, Booth returned to Brennan with two cups of coffee.

"Angela! Looking good as usual," Booth laughed, as she greeted him with a friendly hug.

"Hey Booth!" Angela replied, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to greet two of my old friends because I haven't seen them for a year," he replied, as he handed Brennan one of the cups of coffee.

"Well, I figured," Angela said. "But I only told Brennan last night when we were getting back."

"He came with me, Ange," Bones intervened. Angela noted with surprise that Booth slipped his arm around Brennan's waist casually.

"So where's your husband?" Booth asked, searching the large room for Hodgins.

"He's getting the bags, I think," Angela answered. She was scanning her friend's face to discern her reaction to the arm around her. To Angela's great puzzlement, Brennan's face looked totally calm. The bewilderment increased when Brennan reached down to entwine her fingers with his.

Booth noticed that Angela's eyes were darting curiously between him, Bones, and their linked hands. He cleared his throat, pulling his hand back gently. He muttered something about helping Hodgins with luggage, and then strode away purposefully.

"Sweetie!" Angela said harshly, snapping to get Brennan's attention, which had wandered as she watched her partner walk away.

"What?" Brennan asked, looking back at Angela's slightly annoyed expression.

"What was _that_?" Angela whispered agitatedly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Angela."

"Well first, Booth escorted you to the airport to pick us up." Angela thought it would be best to start with the simpler questions. "How did he know when we were getting in?"

"He was with me when you called," Brennan replied simply.

"You say that like it's no big deal."

"It's not a big deal," Brennan said. "We're partners."

"I called you at 11:00 at night. Something tells me you weren't working." Angela insisted.

"Alright," Brennan sighed. "I concede that Booth and I were spending time together when you called, and he requested to come with me to the airport. Are you satisfied?"

"Not even close," Angela sighed. "But it will have to wait a minute." Hodgins and Booth were returning, each carrying two large suitcases.

"Hey Dr. B," Hodgins called cheerfully. "Catch any good bugs in Indonesia?"

"Sorry, Hodgins," she replied, leaning in to give him a hug. "My focus was on ancient remains. Any insects we uncovered were fossilized."

"That's alright. I'm just dying to get home right now," Hodgins replied, setting one of the bags down and massaging his shoulder.

Booth began leading the way towards where his SUV was parked. Bones began to follow, but Angela grabbed her elbow, holding her back.

"If we stay a little farther behind, we can talk about them," she explained. After counting to ten, she linked elbows with her friend, and began walking slowly.

"I believe we ended our conversation with your dissatisfaction with my answers?" Brennan began hesitantly.

"Right," Angela affirmed. "So what's going on with you and Booth?"

Brennan opened her mouth to produce a quick denial, but Angela interrupted.

"Don't even lie to me. I'm your best friend, and I know things," Angela declared. Her face was serious.

"What things do you know?" Brennan sighed.

"Booth's allowed to touch you now." Angela's eyes searched her friend's face.

"Yes," Brennan said.

"So, what?" Angela asked, frustrated. "Are you two finally together?"

"We spend significant amounts of time together. We're partners." Brennan evaded.

Angela stopped walking abruptly, turning Brennan to face her.

"Let me rephrase: are you and Booth romantically involved?" Angela glared at her friend.

"Yes," Brennan answered softly. Angela shrieked. Hodgins turned around, fifty paces ahead of them. Angela waved him off, and they kept walking.

"Okay Sweetie, tell me absolutely everything!" Angela continued her line of questioning. "How did it happen?"

"I told him what I concluded during my leave of absence." Brennan explained.

"What? The 'conclusion' you told me when you called in March?" Angela's mind flashed back to that conversation.

"Yes, that conclusion," Brennan confirmed. "And then he indicated that he reciprocates my feelings, and concluded with a physical demonstration."

"Wait, wait," Angela said, mentally translating. "He told you he loves you, then he kissed you?"

Brennan simply nodded.

"Did someone have a camera with them? Did anyone get that on video? I would really like to see that." Angela laughed.

"I'm fairly certain that you will see Booth and I kiss at some point in the near future," Brennan assured her.

Angela squealed loudly once again. This time Hodgins and Booth both turned to stare at them.

"Try to keep up, would you?" Booth called, in mock irritation. He had a pretty good guess at what information was making Angela squeal like that.

* * *

"Have you ever seen this man in your bar?" Booth asked, sliding James Houston's photo across the wide metal table in the interrogation room.

"Yeah, he comes in once or twice a week," the bar owner replied. "Haven't seen him in a while, though."

"Did he ever cause any trouble? Bar fights, anything?" Booth asked. This case had frustratingly few leads; he wanted to pursue this one as far as possible.

"Not that I can remember. A few times he got too drunk to drive, but I would just call him a cab and he'd go quietly. Oh, and once he got picked up by the cops, right outside, about two weeks ago. I haven't seen him since, actually." The owner looked a little concerned.

"Do you recognize this weapon?" Brennan asked, holding up an evidence bag. Inside it was a small pistol.

"Hey, yeah. I used to keep it in the bar; I thought I'd lost it." The bar owner seemed like a friendly man, but his eyes were becoming more worried by the second.

"What's going on? Why am I here?" he asked curiously, looking at Booth.

"Your pistol was found in the dumpster outside your place. Right next to the body of James Houston," Booth explained.

"And we have evidence that he may have been at your bar the night he was shot." Brennan continued. "When he died, his blood alcohol content was high: .10."

"Like I said, the last time I saw him was…"

"Twelve days ago?" Booth finished for him. "We have a good bugs-and-slime guy."

"He didn't have anything to do with it," Booth said as he and Brennan exited the interrogation room.

"I agree," Brennan replied, checking her phone.

"What? You're actually going to have some faith in my gut now?" Booth exclaimed.

"No," Brennan replied. "I just received a message from Cam. The bar owner's pistol does not match any of the victim's wounds."

"So we're back to square one," Booth said, sighing as they entered the elevator.

"I still haven't completed a full examination of the remains," Bones reminded him. "I've been… distracted." She smiled up at him.

As the elevator door slid shut with a ping, Booth leaned down to kiss her softly. She responded, taking the kiss to another level. His arms wound around her small waist, and he lifted her a good two inches off the floor. She gasped, laughing against his mouth as her feet were returned to the ground. He smiled down at her with his warm, chocolate eyes.

"Well, let's get you back to the lab then, Bones," he said. "I can distract you some more later." He grinned boyishly.

* * *

Booth strolled into Cam's office as Bones began working with the newly cleaned skeleton.

"Hi," she said, looking up from her computer screen. "I was just typing up some notes on my findings."

"Anything new?" Booth asked.

"I determined that six of the gunshot wounds occurred near the time of death. All to the chest area. All forty-five caliber."

"So someone really wanted this guy dead," Booth summed up.

"Pretty much," Cam agreed. "And apparently they got their wish."

Cam returned to typing. "So Seeley," she began after a few minutes of silence.

"So Camille," he taunted childishly.

"Speaking of wishes, have any of yours come true lately?" she asked, still staring at her screen.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Booth said, stiffening.

"You do too, Big Man." She finally turned to look at him.

"So what do you think?" he snapped.

"Well, Dr. Brennan was late this morning. Angela is practically bursting out of her skin with excitement. And of course, I did walk in on that tender scene the other day. I'm a scientist, Booth. I can put two and two together." She smiled kindly.

"Fine, you win," Booth said, scowling a little.

"So how did it happen? Last I checked, you couldn't even kiss her before she left you for a year."

"She changed her mind," Booth said, finally smiling.

"Well I'm glad you two finally woke up," she said. "I mean it, Booth. I'm really happy for you guys."

"Thanks," he answered.

"Have you told Sweets?" Cam asked, after a few more quiet minutes.

"Not yet," Booth answered. He was dreading that meeting more than this one.

"He's on your side, you know," Cam said, still typing away. "He always has been."

"I know," Booth replied. "I read the book."


	6. By the Book

**A/N: Thanks for the awesome response to the last chapter! All those reviews and alerts and favorites made me very very happy. I'm going to be out of town for a few days, so I won't be able to update for a bit. Please stick with me! Anyway, please enjoy this next chapter, and please make my day by reviewing again! [Disclaimer: You know the drill. I have zero rights.]

* * *

**

A Year from Today

Chapter 5: By the Book

Booth placed his hand on the small of her back as they exited the elevator. She smiled at the casual protectiveness of this gesture.

"You ready for this, Bones?" he asked as they paused in front of the door.

"I'm prepared to make Dr. Sweets and the FBI aware of the situation, yes," Brennan answered, calmly.

"Situation, Bones?" Booth laughed. "You make it sound like you're dying or something."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "I am prepared to inform Sweets of the change in our relationship status."

"Ok, so what are we waiting for?" Booth opened the Psychologist's door.

"Agent Booth! Dr. Brennan!" Sweets called, jumping from his seat as they entered.

"Hey, Sweets." Booth greeted him with a manly punch on the shoulder.

"Hello," Brennan said politely, shaking Sweets' hand, while he rubbed the spot on his shoulder. Booth's greetings hurt just as much as he remembered.

All three took their customary seats around the small table. Booth, however, couldn't resist sliding a little closer to Bones on the couch than before.

"Sweets," Booth began anxiously. "There's something we need to – "

"Wait," Sweets interrupted. "I need to discuss something with the two of you before we start the session, if that's alright."

"Certainly," Brennan encouraged. "Go ahead." She appreciated the idea of postponing the moment when she had to admit that the Psychologist had been correct about her behavior, about her feelings. About everything.

"Great, well. You probably both know that Daisy decided to stay in Indonesia for another six months." Booth and Bones both nodded. "Well, her decision has made me reconsider my priorities in life." Booth wasn't sure where this was going, and that made him a little uneasy.

"Anyway, I've decided that I need to be more straightforward with people. Life is short, and we should make the most out of our relationships while we can."

"Sweets," Booth cut in. "I really have no idea what you're talking about."

Sweets ignored him. "That's why I've decided to tell you two that you need to consider a change in your relationship."

Booth glanced at his partner's face, anxiously. She appeared totally shocked as she turned to look at him. She opened her mouth, about to speak, but Sweets interrupted her.

"In my professional opinion, the time has come when your working relationship will be significantly more effective if you seriously consider the romantic component." He examined the people across from him, searching for their reactions. Booth tried to stifle a laugh, but Brennan still looked somberly surprised. Neither appeared ready to speak, so he continued his argument.

"Clearly all those years of denying the obvious sexual tension between the two of you have done no good. I mean, look what it's driven you to do? You ran to opposite corners of the world for an entire year to avoid confronting the issue at hand." Sweets glanced from one of them to the other, almost challenging them to refute it.

"I know you are both familiar with my logic. You both read my book last year, although it apparently had no effect. So now I'm asking you, as a friend and a professional, to consider my conclusions."

Booth was getting really fed up with this kid. He racked his brain, searching for a way to shut him up long enough to explain. Finally, a perfect solution floated to the front of his mind.

Brennan gasped as Booth grabbed her shoulders suddenly, yanking her to his side. Her surprise melted as he brought his lips to hers swiftly. She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back joyfully. After a few seconds, Booth pulled away, dropped his hands, and turned back to face the stunned Psychologist.

"How's that?" Booth asked, smiling triumphantly.

"That's… that's great. But what…?" Sweets stammered, his eyes trailing to Dr. Brennan's face. He saw that she was completely relaxed, though perhaps a bit flushed. _Not so unexpected, then_, he thought.

"Booth and I have been seeing each other since I returned from Maluku," Brennan explained, slipping her hand into Booth's. He grinned in her direction.

"Wow!" Sweets exclaimed. "That was quick!"

"In all technicality, it was slow," Brennan said coolly. "It has been nearly seven years since we met."

"So how did it happen?" Sweets questioned eagerly, looking from one partner to the other and back again.

"I examined my feelings towards Booth while I was away, and came to a logical conclusion," Brennan explained. "Which I promptly informed him of when I returned."

"And how do you feel about this, Agent Booth?" Sweets inquired. He had pulled out a pad of paper and begun scribbling notes.

"How do you think, Sweets?" Booth retorted sarcastically. "I'm thrilled. Really." He stretched his arm out across Bones' shoulders, and then pressed a gentle kiss to her temple.

"So will you allow us to continue working together?" Brennan asked, with a worried glance at Sweets' pad of paper.

"Yes, I think so," Sweets affirmed. "As I said before, I think this development will benefit your partnership overall."

"Thanks, Sweets." Booth said. "For everything."

"Yes," Brennan added. "Even though Psychology is a soft science, I agree that you have offered some accurate insights into our relationship."

"Thank you, Dr. Brennan. That was almost a compliment." Sweets smiled. "Well, I think that's all for our session today. Don't you have a case to work on?"

"We sure do," Booth confirmed, standing up. "Let's go Bones." She took his offered hand, and they left the office.

As soon as the door shut, Sweets rushed to his desk. He pulled up the proper file on his computer and began typing. At last he had an epilogue for his book!


	7. Easy as Pie

**A/N: I know, I know. It's been a very very long time since the last chapter. Here's the truth: I went out of town. Here's the other truth: I wasn't totally happy with the way the last chapter turned out, and I wasn't sure how to start this chapter, so I waited. But now I'm pretty happy with this one. Anyway, this is the seventh and final chapter of this story. Thanks to everyone who has put in enough time to read the whole thing. I hope you had half as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Please, please, please-I'm-begging-you-yes-you review and make my day. After this story is done, I'm hoping to write more about my favorite mystery-solving couple, so be on the lookout for that as well. [Disclaimer: I don't anything. Not even apple pie.] **

Chapter 7: Easy as Pie

"Cam!" Angela squealed, hurrying towards the autopsy table. "You wouldn't believe how much I missed you!"

"Angela!" Cam replied, looking up from the corpse of their latest victim. "I missed you too. You have no idea how hard it is to find a decent artist who also knows how to handle a computer."

"Aw Cam. You've been here training our subs all year," Angela leaned towards her, coming in for a friendly hug.

"You really don't want to hug me," Cam said, holding up her hands in defense. "I'm covered in bits of victim right now."

"Oh, right," Angela replied, stepping back hastily. "I've almost forgotten what it's like to work with all this mess." She gestured at the decaying flesh on the table.

"Are you ready to get back to work right now? Or do you need some time to settle in?" Cam asked.

"I can help out right away if you need me," Angela answered, looking down at the mangled body. "You need an ID?"

"No, we've already identified him," Cam clarified. "I was wondering if you could help Clark reverse engineer the bullets from some of these wounds. Maybe we can figure out what kind of gun the killer used."

"Absolutely," Angela replied excitedly. "As much as I loved painting in Paris, I'm glad to be getting the team back together."

"Alright. I'm about ready to remove the flesh, then it's Dr. Brennan's turn." Cam said, as she pulled off her gloves. "Where's Hodgins?" she asked, suddenly noticing his absence.

"Booth got to him first," Angela said, smiling. "Something about an alley full of trash and an overturned dumpster." She rolled her eyes.

"Men!" Cam agreed, sighing. The two laughed.

Booth and Bones waited in his office, sipping their coffee.

"All we know so far is that Houston was at the bar the night he died, then he got picked up by the cops," Booth said, staring into his cup.

"We also know that he was shot six times in the chest with a forty-five caliber weapon," Bones added.

"Hopefully we'll know more once we talk to the cops who arrested him that night." Booth leaned back in his chair, turning the poker chip around in his hand. He pocketed the trinket as a man in uniform appeared in the doorway.

"Agent Booth?" the man asked. "I'm Officer Patrick Starnes." He walked into the office, followed by a woman who wore the same uniform.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth," he greeted them, shaking both their hands. "This is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan," he smiled as he glanced at her.

"My partner, Ana Fernandez," Starnes explained, indicating the woman behind him. She was obviously Hispanic, with tanned skin and shiny black hair, pulled out of her way in a knot at the back of her neck. Booth would probably have thought she was pretty, except that the only woman who ever filled his eyes was sitting right there beside her. Booth did notice, though, the way the other woman's partner stood protectively in front of her.

"We just wanted to know what you could tell us about a guy named James Houston," Booth began, sitting behind his desk and casually flipping open the folder.

"Sure, I remember him. Picked him up a couple of weeks ago. He fit a description our precinct put out for a lineup," Starnes answered.

"What was the lineup for?" Booth asked. Bones glanced between the two men; the two law enforcement professionals. She wondered what information Booth thought he could possibly glean from this line of questioning.

Booth knew he was on the right track when he saw how Starnes' eyes flashed uncomfortably towards the other officer. She answered instead of him.

"We were looking for a guy involved in an incident about a month ago." She looked into Booth's eyes for reassurance, and apparently found it. "I was shot, by a man matching his description." Booth noticed that her hand crept to a spot on her side. He guessed that was where the wound was.

"Did you ever find your man?" Booth asked. "Did he turn up in the lineup?"

"No," the woman answered, looking down at her lap. "I didn't see him."

"I'm sorry," Booth said sincerely, trying to find her eyes. Instead, his eyes landed on Starnes' hand, which had clasped around Ana's.

"Do you need anything else?" Starnes asked, standing up.

"No, but thanks for your help," Booth said. Brennan was puzzled; she had not learned anything particularly useful from this interview.

Starnes pulled his partner to her feet gently, and then headed towards the door. She paused, glancing back at Booth's desk briefly.

"Listen, I'll meet you at the car in a few minutes, ok?" Ana told her partner in a low voice. He raised his eyebrows at her in confusion.

"Just go. I can take care of myself," she whispered. He nodded, then exited the office.

Ana turned back to face Booth and Brennan. "May I see that picture?" she asked politely, pointing at the photograph on the desk. Booth handed it to her. Brennan looked like she was about to speak, but Booth gave her a look and she changed her mind. Ana examined the picture for a long time. At last she closed her eyes slowly, setting the photo back on the desk carefully.

"That's him. The one who shot me," she said, pausing to take a deep breath. "But he wasn't in the lineup."

"Are you certain? Your memory may be impaired by shock, pain, or emotional stress," Brennan cautioned. Booth gave her a look of warning.

"I'm sure," Ana replied. "It's him."

"Thank you," Booth said sincerely as Ana turned and left the room.

"See Bones," Booth began, looking excitedly at his partner. "Now we know something."

"Alright Squints," Booth called, strolling into the lab with his hand on the small of Bones' back. "What have you got for me?"

"We know what kind of gun was used," Angela called in reply, walking out of her office with the report. Hodgins followed behind her.

"Great!" Cam exclaimed, climbing down the steps from the forensic platform.

"What kind of weapon was used, Ange?" Brennan asked, taking the report from her hands, scanning it quickly.

"The same kind that Booth carries. And the same kind that security guard over there carries," Angela explained, pointing at the man by the door to the lab.

"Standard, the same type of weapon issued by law enforcement," Cam noted, reading over Brennan's shoulder.

"I'm going to call conspiracy on this one," Hodgins added.

"Of course you are," Cam muttered, rolling her eyes.

"There must be hundreds of people in this city who carry weapons like this," Brennan said, discouraged.

"Ah, but I know of one with motive," Booth declared. "Come on Bones." He grabbed her hand and pulling her towards the sliding glass doors.

"You recognize this man?" Booth asked, sliding the photo of James Houston across the table to Officer Starnes.

"Yes, he's the man I arrested two weeks ago," Starnes replied warily.

"Well, your partner recognized him too," Booth added. "As the man who shot her and got away with it."

"Apparently he never arrived at the police lineup," Brennan continued.

Starnes made no reply, but stared at the shining interrogation room table.

"I get it," Booth said. "Guys like us, we do anything to protect our partners." Starnes still did not speak.

"We can prove that you killed him," Bones said calmly. "We can forensically link his wounds to your firearm."

"She was pregnant," Starnes said in a low voice, looking to Booth's eyes for sympathy. "He didn't just shoot my partner. He killed my child." His dark eyes were watering, but the fires of rage shone through his tears.

"Anthropologically speaking, vigilante justice has been glorified in our culture throughout history, perpetuated by stories of cowboys and other mythical figures," Brennan explained to Booth over her cup of coffee at the Royal Diner.

"He did it for his partner and his kid, Bones," Booth corrected gently. "I can understand that." The intensity in his gaze surprised her when her eyes met his, which were now a color very similar to the coffee in her mug.

"But Booth, you know better than to kill someone for hurting me," Bones said, breaking eye contact when she began to feel uncomfortable.

"Do I?" he asked softly. He reached across the table to trace her cheek with his finger gently. She blushed, and he smiled as the adorable pinkness spread.

"You should," she said. "We would catch you." She smiled back without thinking. Although she knew that the dimple in his smile was merely a minor defect in facial musculature, she found it illogically appealing.

"You wouldn't turn me in, Bones," he replied. His eyes twinkled at her.

"This is why law enforcement organizations generally discourage partners from sexual involvement," Brennan noted, taking a sip of coffee.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Booth asked, seriousness taking over his features.

"Never," Bones responded simply, her steely blue eyes shining into his.

"Good," Booth replied, looking away as her intense gaze overpowered him. He returned his attention to the warm slice of apple pie on the plate in front of him.

"Wow," he exclaimed, through a large bite. He swallowed quickly. "The pie is even better than I remember!"

"May I try a bite?" Bones asked politely.

Booth dropped his fork in surprise. Brennan raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Help yourself, Bones," he said, pushing the plate towards her. He watched her face carefully as she ate a dainty forkful.

"You're right, Booth," she said after chewing slowly and swallowing delicately. "The pie is good." She smiled at him again. They both laughed.


End file.
